John Travolta posts touching tribute to friend and Pulp Fiction co-star Bruce Willis following his aphasia diagnosis: ‘That’s how generous a soul he is’ – TH

John Travolta posts touching tribute to friend and Pulp Fiction co-star Bruce Willis following his aphasia diagnosis: ‘That’s how generous a soul he is’

Travolta, 68, who starred in the cult classic Pulp Fiction and rom com Look Who’s Talking with Willis, 67, praised the ‘generous soul’ in an Instagram post on Thursday.

‘Bruce and I became good friends when we shared 2 of our biggest hits together, Pulp Fiction and Look Who’s Talking,’ John began in a post on Instagram. ‘Years later he said to me, “John, I just want you to know that when something good happens to you I feel like it’s happening to me.” That’s how generous a soul he is. I love you Bruce.’

‘I love you Bruce’: John Travolta paid tribute to his friend and former co-star Bruce Willis following the actor’s aphasia diagnosis

The post contained two photos of the actors together, including one of them wearing black as they posed with Willis’ arm around John’s shoulder.

Travolta and Willis recently reunited for the upcoming film Paradise City, which was shot in Maui last May, according to the Los Angeles Times.

‘He was excited to work with John Travolta, and you could see the old Bruce Willis charm was still there,’ the film’s director Chuck Russell told the site in an article detailing how his cognitive decline impacted his film career in recent years.

‘He really brought his A game, and we made sure that he and John had a great experience filming together.’

‘That’s how generous a soul he is’: The post contained two photos of the actors together, including one of them wearing black as they posed with Willis’ arm around John’s shoulder

Shared success: ‘Bruce and I became good friends when we shared 2 of our biggest hits together, Pulp Fiction and Look Who’s Talking,’ Travolta wrote in the post

The world learned on Wednesday that Hollywood legend Bruce Willis, 67, would retire due to his diagnosis of aphasia, a potentially devastating condition that causes a person to lose communication skills.

Willis’ family announced that the condition would cause the Die Hard star to step away ‘from the career that has meant so much to him.’

Around one million Americans suffer from the condition, the National Institutes of Health reports, and around 180,000 people are diagnosed with it every year.

It can manifest itself in multiple ways, and is often either the result of a head injury, a stroke, a tumor or other brain deterioration.

Aphasia can be devastating as well, with experts saying it causes depression in over a third of cases, can lead to personality shifts and can even alienate friends and family from the affected person.

Other famous examples of aphasia include former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke.

‘Imagine being dropped in a country where you do not speak the language – cannot understand, read, write or speak. It would impact all of your interactions – this is what it is like to have aphasia,’  Darlene Williamson, president of the aphasia association, told DailyMail.com.

While it is impossible to say for Willis in particular how drastically the condition has effected him and his behavior, Williamson reports that it can often be devastating for patients.

‘The consequences of living with a language impairment can alter someone’s behavior and outlook on life,’ Williamson said.

Numerous stars have sent Willis their love on Twitter in the wake of the diagnosis, including Sylvester Stallone, Sarah Paulson, director Len Wiseman, and Jenna Dewan.

Willis’ devastating diagnosis was revealed in a statement posted by his family, including ex-wife Demi Moore and their three daughters, to Instagram on Wednesday.

‘To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities,’ they wrote.

Hit film: John and Willis starred in the 1994 cult classic Pulp Fiction

‘As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.’

The statement added: ‘This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.

‘As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that,’ the statement, which was signed by his wife, model Emma Heming Willis, his ex-wife Demi and all of his children, concluded.

According to the National Aphasia Association, aphasia is an impairment of language, affecting the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write.

The association reports the condition is always due to injury to the brain, most commonly from a stroke, particularly in older individuals.

Head trauma, brain tumors or infections can also cause aphasia.

Showing their support: Numerous stars have sent Willis their love on Twitter in the wake of the diagnosis, including Sylvester Stallone, Sarah Paulson, director Len Wiseman, and Jenna Dewan; pictured in Pulp Fiction.